ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. last — final
  5. march — the month
  6. last — finally
  7. rash — a series
  8. rule — a law
  9. ball — a great time
  10. race — a contest
  11. capital — a city
  12. rule — government
  13. firm — a company
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ball — a dance
  17. race — humankind
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. capital — money
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com